CORE VALUES

Creating a list of core values can help guide you through life as core values are like that of a compass. They guide you through life instead of just drifting through it. They are looked upon consciously or subconsciously with every decision you make in a sense.

When you establish them, you really get a sense of what is important to you. What you want out of this life. As well as what actions you need to take to keep yourself and your life in line with these core values. So each day your are bring yourself closer and closer to complete happiness and self mastery.

The power of core values is that it helps you avoid bad decisions. And make great ones. Because when you know what you stand for, you are more likely to act in a way according so. Because the biggest human need is to stay consistent with who and what we think we are.

It also makes you more effective at things like time management and life management. As you make decisions based off of what is important to you. You place higher value on this than pleasing other people. It will allow you to make rapid decision making because you are not vague on what you stand for.

It will give you a sense of confidence that comes from knowing yourself. And attract similar minds that hold the same or similar values. Creating harmony in your life and in your core group of friends and family.

Above all, having core values and living your core values will bring you more peace of mind. Which is the ultimate core value that we should all seek.

But what are good core values? Values that will allow us to have a well rounded and happy existence on this earth?

Well below I get into the top 10 core value examples that I believe are the most important for one to have. That can be a road map for you and allow you to adopt them in your own life. And take the rains on life. Guiding it wherever you choose.

Enjoy my friends.

Core Values For A Balanced Life

Below is a list of core values that I think are absolutely imperative to living a balanced life. Also I listed 65 more core value examples below them for you to use when creating yours! Enjoy

Financial Abundance 

I put this one at the top because it really can solve a lot of problems. Although it is said that money doesn’t by happiness, I have to disagree. I believe it can buy freedom. And to me that is happiness. Also, this is a limiting belief around belief around money that keeps us from wanting and pursuing more of it.

At the end of the day, the LOVE of money is the root of all evil. The crime rate goes up when unemployment rises. As doesn the amount of women battered. Money is not evil my friends. Not money itself. It can help you create a life for your family with less stress.

It also allows you to engage in one of the best feelings of all time. The feeling of giving back. Giving money to foundations you believe in. Or even using money as a tool to start your own foundations.

In order to truly fulfill this core value, I believe you need to have some sort of passive income. Income that will take care of all your bills and even more. That is you lost your job, you would have no worries as your passive income would keep coming in.

Good forms of passive income can come from:

1. Online business creation
2. Storage lockers
3. Peer to Peer Lending
4. Sell Online Ebooks
5. Be an Affiliate Online
6. Sell Stock Photos
7. Own Car Washes
8. Laundromats
9. Vending Machines
10. Air B&B
11. Rental Properties
12. App Creation

Good Relationships

In order to make the most out of life, you need to have solidly build relationships. You need to seek win-win in every interaction as this is how strong relationships are built. When we seek for everyone to win, we are creating a sense of INTERDEPENDENCE which is a step above independence. It is the most effective and empowering way a human can operate.

When you seek win win relationships, you are truly caring about other peoples well being. Seek first to understand them. Listen to them and respond without thinking about what you want to say. This is what is called as empathetic communication. It is one of the highest forms of respect that you can show another human being. You care enough to put them above your own needs.

Once you start buildings good relationships in your life, you achieve a sense of inter-connectiveness. A feeling of being a part of the whole. Truly integrated in the human experience. It is the opposite of feeling disconnected which brings about feelings of withdrawal and depression.

Your life takes on so much more meaning and you are able to create better memories and friendships that last a lifetime. You will also in turn, succeed more financially. Because no one does anything alone. And it is said that your network is your net worth. The more you build up a network of good relationships, the more you create opportunities for collaboration. Where you and the other person benefit.

Also, in order to build good relationships, always seek out ways you can help others. When you meet people, find out what they do for a living. Ask about their family. Do they have kids? Where they went to college. What political views they have. Always seek first to understand the human being completely. This way, you can do things for them that will be in line with what you learned about them.

This will create a feeling in the other person that you truly care about them. That you remember the little things. This will stand out in their minds. Even take notes after you have talked to someone new or even an old friend. This will allow you to send out cards to them about what they talked to you about. Ask how their kids are enjoying college. Mention their favorite sports team in an email. Send them pictures of their favorite car they talked about.

All of these little acts add up into developing great relationships in your community and with society at large.

You can also use what are called the 6 honest serving men. Which are:

1. Who
2. Why
3. How
4. Where
5. When
6. What

Starting sentences with these worlds will lead someone to tell more about themselves to you. It will take the spotlight off of you and put it on them. Letting them open up to you more and more.

For example, if you meet someone new and spark up a conversation about what they do for a living, you can ask them WHAT made you get into the career? Or WHEN did you decide that that was your passion?

Health & Wellness

We have an amazing vehicle, our bodies. They can do some pretty amazing things. Even when we have slacked on our diets and haven’t worked out in a long time, it still functions well. But in order to enjoy the utmost vitality and energy in your life, you need to value health and wellness over the alternative.

Although it may feel good in the moment, eating foods that taste good but aren’t good. These choices add up. Eating bad will not only affect us outwardly, but will wreak havoc on us internally. Which will cost us both physically and financially.

By choosing to make health and wellness as one of your core values, you do what most of the world does not. Focus on preventative health. Instead of simply reacting to health problems, you are now preventing them. Food is thy medicine.

By choosing whole foods over processed fast foods, you create a stronger internal temple. It will create stronger gut health as well. Which the gut is the second brain. But really almost is the first brain regarding mental health. As 95 percent of our levels of serotonin are found in the gut! It also uses more than 30 neurotransmitters which is the same amount used by our brains. So by adhering to a strongly whole food based diet, you will create better mental health as well.

Also using a good multivitamin and probiotic in your diet will help you create better gut and overall health.

The second half of this is creating some sort of physical strain in your life. This can be done through things like going to the gym, running, walking, Crossfit and hiking. But being a personal trainer, I know the value of integrating resistance training (training with weights). And the value it has on us as we age. It helps us avoid things such as bone and muscle loss. Which is something that happens to us as we age, accelerating after our early 30’s at a more rapid rate.

But the good news is that no matter how young or old you are, you can add both more muscle and more bone mass. This will help you create a strong core and strong muscular skeletal system. Which will help you avoid life related injuries. As well as live with vigor and vitality.

You cannot truly enjoy the experience of life if you are out of shape and not nourishing your body with healthy foods. You may think you are. But as soon as you make health and wellness a core value, you see that you haven’t been operating at a level that you could. And it becomes easier and easier to stick to a life that includes abundance in the health and wellness arena.

Spiritual Compontent

Now this is coming from a guy that is not big on going to church! But I truly believe that in order to feel complete as a human being, we need to have a spiritual component in our lives. This can be done through prayer, meditation, going to church practicing being mindful throughout the day.

Anything that will allow you to feel connected to something bigger than you. Call it God, the Universe, whatever you choose. Doing this will allow you to feel happier and more whole.

Certain ways you can become more spiritual is to learn to listen to your own intuition more. To practice giving gratitude throughout your day. Both verbally and non-verbally. Also seeings connections and coincidences as gifts to you from the Universe to help you go the right direction in life.

Also simply spending more time in nature and being mindful and present while you are out there. This alone can allow you to feel more connected and exercise your spiritual core value.

Lastly, learn to see everyone as part of you. That you are all little pieces of a bigger whole. That everyone is in this together. This will allow you to see people as part of you. A feeling of true interconnectiveness.

Honesty

Honesty truly is the best policy. When we are being honest we are operating from a place of vulnerability. Which will allow us to create better relationships with others. It also creates a mental space to where you are not suppressing emotions and feelings. This will create for better mental and physical health.

This also includes being honest with oneself. When we are honest with ourselves, we do away with denial. One of the main causes of stalling our growth and happiness in life.

When you and I make it a habit to be more honest, we will operate almost as children. Free to express ourselves and what is on our mind. Instead of trying to act like your perfect. As no one is. It will create better foundations in new relationships as well as rebuild and maintain trust in our current ones. This is where becoming more honest starts. With ourselves.

The best way to become more honest is to identify the reasons why you may be telling lies. Or hiding truths. Most often than not, lying is just a form of insecurity. We lie to make ourselves look better than we are or feel. To act as if we all have it together.

To ease yourself into being more vulnerable and honest, try doing so with someone close to you. Talk to them about your insecurities. How tough the world can be. Open up to them as best as you can.

Once you do this, you will feel pretty darn good. It will show yourself that it is OK to be real. To not fake an image or be someone we aren’t. This will show you that it is safe to do so. And we can do so more and more with people in our lives.

Also when things aren’t going right with people in your life, express it. The faster the better. This will keep you from keeping it inside of you and wreaking havoc on your health.

People who communicate more rapidly how they are truly feeling are happier, healthier and more productive people.

Honesty also means becoming a man or woman of your word. Sticking to your commitments. When you do so, people know what they are getting. They see you as a dependable person. And that speaks measures about your character.

Personal Responsibility 

In Brian Tracy’s book “Maximum Achievement” he talks about how until we take personal responsibility for our entire lives, we cannot really every operate as an adult. We are constantly feeling and playing the role of the victim. When we take personal responsibility for our lives, we take the power back.

I am not saying bad things don’t happen to people. They certainly do. But we choose how we react to them. We can assume responsibility what we are going to do with our lives after something bad has happened to us. To not let it affect us for too long. To grow and learn from it.

A great article by ThriveGlobal talks about how we can take responsibility for our lives, some of the tips included:

1. Stop blaming people – Parents, economy, president and siblings. Instead ask yourself “What is my role in this?”. With this question, you will take a more responsible angle on things. As well as see that you often played a part in the things that you didn’t like that happened to you.
2. Stop Complaining – Complaining is simply a big waste of time. It serves no purpose and sucks the energy out of you. Instead ask yourself what the lesson was or gift that came out of the thing you are complaining about. You will turn a negative into a positive.
3. Don’t take things personal – Often times we will get cut off in traffic and take it personal. Like the person woke up that day and had the main goal of ruining our day by cutting us off. Most of the time people aren’t doing things to affect us personally. So by not taking things personal you get yourself out of victim mode. And the feeling that “everything is all about you.”

The main thing about taking responsibility for your life is to evaluate the places in your life where you have been playing the victim. And then working on not doing so anymore.

Also practice forgiveness. When you forgive people for the things they have done to you, you open up a space of emotional healing. Also, you stop holding onto things people did to you. You move on and live for the future. Instead of living in the past.

Justice (Fairness) 

Being fair with the people in your life will allow you to satisfy a deep rooted inner value. Fairness and justice is what everyone wants in life. People want to be treated fairly. The phrase “well the world isn’t fair” is BS. You can control the level of justice you implore in your own life.

When you live from a sense of justice, you will show people that you are a good person. That they can trust you. That you care about their well being and motives as much as yourself.

The more you do so, the more you feel good inside. Life is all about balance, and being fair allows you to attain that balance in your life.

This can mean treating people, social groups or religious groups with more empathy. Seeing that everyone is human and just trying to do their best. And that everyone has their own truth. And not judging them because of it.

This also comes down to cultivating a sense of open mindedness. For when we are open minded, we become less judgmental. We seek to first understand people and learn from them. Life becomes less black and white. Try being less persistent on being right or inflexible in what you believe in.

This will also let you become more compassionate in your life. Which is a wonderful feeling in and of itself.

Peace of Mind

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, peace of mind should be our number one core value. Because of the fact that when we have and maintain peace of mind, we are more calm and courageous. We are acting out of our true nature. Which is compassionate, loving and all knowing.

Some ways we can create more peace of mind in our lives is:

1. Have someone in your life that you can be completely real and honest with. Someone that you can share everything that you are ashamed from as well as all your victories and wins. And everything in between. This can be a family member, spouse, close friend, on a blog or even writing it in a journal.
2. Always do what is right – When we don’t we regret it. We know we should have treated someone better. Or not littered. Cleaned up after ourselves. Often times laziness gets in the way of doing things the way they should have be done. So by not taking the short and easy route out, we can create more peace of mind that comes from knowing we did all we could.
3. Forgive – Like I talked about above, the more we forgive, the more emotionally healthy we become. We stop feeling like the victim and we move forward with our lives. Put your peace of mind above holding onto a grudge.
4. Create Goals That Are Inspiring – When we have a powerful vision for the future, we look ahead with optimism. If we don’t have an inspire vision for our lives, we are stuck in the past. There can be no peace of mind or vitality in our lives if we are living in the past. Create goals that allow you to jump out of bed in the morning with excitement about your day. Get so consumed with your goals that you don’t even have time for drama or looking back.
5. Live In The Moment – When you are at work, work. When you are playing, play. Leave the two separately. That way you will be in the moment with everything you are doing in your life. You won’t be thinking about work when it is time to play with your family and vice versa. Whatever you are doing, do IT.
6. Don’t be your own worst critic – When we are too hard on ourselves, we get down and out. I am not saying don’t be hard on yourself. But do so in a healthy way. If you don’t hit your goals in time, just adjust your time frame for their achievement. Don’t get down on yourself. Just see what you have to learn in order to be more effective moving forward. Have high goals and expectations, but treat yourself kindly if you don’t hit them.

The Ultimate List Of Core Values (Core Values List)

The above 8 core values are the ones that I think are most important and that I have committed to integrating in my life. But everyone is different! So below is a list of many more examples of core values that you can check out to create your own list. Also, when creating your list of core values, whatever pops at you the most is usually right for you.

Rash decisions about things like this are usually the most accurate. Even as accurate as it would be if you had 30 minutes to think about it. The most important things you want out of life can be written out and created incredibly fast. Anyways, here is the list:

1. Status
2. Meaning
3. Influence
4. Kindness
5. Compassion
6. Fame
7. Humor
8. Competency
9. Humility
10. Humbleness
11. Noble
12. Authenticity
13. Trustworthy
14. Persistent
15. Dominance
16. Decisiveness
17. Goal Oriented
18. Good Looking
19. Visionary
20. Passionate
21. Inspiring
22. Determined
23. Embracing Change
24. Respect
25. Safety
26. Progressive
27. Supportive
28. Wisdom
29. Non-Conforming
30. Well Spoken
31. Selfless
32. Popular
33. Energetic
34. Educated
35. Funny
36. Observant
37. Loyalty
38. Dilligent
39. Adventurous
40. Fearless
41. Determined
42. Thoughtful
43. Creative
44. Calm
45. Confident
46. Wanderlust
47. Generous
48. Artistic
49. Charming
50. Logical
51. Athletic
52. Extroverted
53. Accepting
54. Travel
55. Patience
56. Resilience
57. Non-Attached
58. Willingness
59. Gentleness
60. Assertiveness 
61. Boldness
62. Disciplined
63. Self Reliance
64. Service Oriented
65. Intelligence
66. Innovative

How to Create Your Own Core Values

Making a list of things you admire about the people you admire most can be a great place to start. The great thing about these qualities is that you can ingrain them into your own life. And make you into the person you admire most when you do. Also, if you do identify with any one or more of the core values above, feel free to use them!

I think the most important thing is to have 5 to 10 core values. Not any more because you don’t want to spread yourself too thin. And not any less as you cannot have a balanced life with less than 5.

Also, another way to form core values that truly resonate in your heart and soul is to make a list of the things you hate about the world. Or qualities and values that you do not admire in the people in your life.

Then you can create a list that reflects the exact opposite and have a list that represents what you truly want your life to mean and stand for. This is where “Know thy enemy” can apply!

Also, think about times in your life where you felt you were out of place. Decisions you were making that went against what your moral compass told you was right. Then analyze the core values or laws you want to live by that were being broken and violated. Often times we can find our core values and standards we want to live by through going through this little exercise.

You can even think about what you want people to remember you for. That when you die, people will remember you for certain qualities that reflected your core values. This can help you see what is truly important to you and how you want to be known and remembered.

25 Quotes About Core Values

1. “Your core values are the deeply held beliefs that authentically describe your soul.” – John C. Maxell
2. “You have to have core values. What do you believe in. Do you believe in hard work? Do you believe in discipline? Do you believe in conditioning? Because those are the things I know that do work.
3. “Values are like fingerprints. Nobody’s are the same, but you leave them all over everything you do.” – Elvis Presley
4. “All values are important. Everyone who has ever touched my life is some way was a mentor for good or bad. Life is a blend, and a person is a blend of all the influences that have touched their lives.” – Colin Powell
5. “Values are who you are even when no one is watching.”
6. “Our value is the sum of our values.” – Joe Batten
7. “Be a living expression of your values. Wear them, speak them, make decisions aligned with them.: – Lindsay Mclaughlin
8. “I stopped living according to my core values. I knew what I was doign was wrong but only though about myself and thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to.” – Tiger Woods
9. “It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.” – Roy Disney
10. ‘Success in life means living by your values.” – Russ Harris
11. “Your core values make you an individual. It’s your standards that create your personable nature and the confidence to grow with others, learn to trust that your aura will send some magic in this world. The right people will always love you for exactly who you are. The only justification is really to yourself.” – Jasmina Siderovski
12. “Your personal core values define who you are, and a companies core values ultimately define the companies character and brand. For individuals, character is destiny. For organizations, culture is destiny.” – Tony Hsieh
13. “The core values that underpin sustainable development, interdependence, empathy, equity, personal responsibility and intergenerationsl justice are the only foundation which any viable vision of a better world can possible be constructed.” – Jonathon Porritt
14. “Leaders honor their core values, but they are flexible in how they execute them.” – Colin Powell
15. “Love means nothing if you can’t accept someone for their core values.” – Katie Chapman
16. “Change your practices without abandoning your core values.” – James C. Collins
17. “One of my core values is to help redefine what it means to be a strong and beautiful woman in the music and fashion worlds and to empower the wonderful things that make us unique.” – Janelle Monae
18. “If a brand genuinely wants to make a social contribution, it should start with who they are,not what they do. For only when a brand has defined itself and it’s core values can it identify causes of social responsibility initiatives that are in alignment with it’s authentic brand story.” – Simon Mainwaring
19. “Anything that changes your values, changes your behavior.” – George Sheehan
20. “Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your core values.” – Dalai Lama
21. “Your core values provide the compass that keeps you moving in the right direction.” – Susan David
22. “Core values and culture are the only common thread for a company that can ensure that people with different education, upbringing, training, exposure, personality, gender, race can work for a common goal.” – Sandeep Aggarwal
23. “My definition of success. When your core values and self-concept are in harmoney with your daily actions and behaviors.” – John Spence
24. “A core value is a belief that you hold that is important to your well-being. Stress can result of your core values being challenges or not met.”
25. “I thought deeply about this. I ended up concluding that the worst thing that could possibly happen as we get big and we get a little more influence in the world is if we change our core values and start letting it slide. I cant do that. I’d rather quit.” – Steve Jobs

Conclusion To Core Values Examples

So there you are my friends in personal development. A list of different core values that you can use in your life. Share with me what your favorite values were as well as if you have any good values to add in the comment section below! Lets talk!

Peace my friends

 

Chris